Hemorrhoids Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

What are hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are swollen
veins in the
anal canal. This common problem can be painful, but
it's usually not serious.

Veins can swell inside the anal canal to
form internal hemorrhoids. Or they can swell near the opening of the anus to
form external hemorrhoids. You can have both types at the same time. The
symptoms and treatment depend on which type you have.

What causes hemorrhoids?

Too much pressure on the
veins in the pelvic and rectal area causes hemorrhoids.

Normally,
tissue inside the anus fills with blood to help control bowel movements. If you
strain or sit on the toilet a long time to move stool, the increased pressure causes the veins in this tissue to
swell and stretch. This can cause hemorrhoids.

Diarrhea or
constipation also may lead to straining and can increase pressure on veins in
the anal canal.

Pregnant women can get hemorrhoids during the
last 6 months of pregnancy. This is because of increased pressure on the blood
vessels in the pelvic area. Straining to push the baby out during labor can
make hemorrhoids worse.

Being overweight can also lead to
hemorrhoids.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms of
both internal and external hemorrhoids include:

Bleeding during bowel movements. You might
see streaks of bright red blood on toilet paper after you strain to have a
bowel movement.

Itching.

Rectal pain. It may be
painful to clean the anal area.

Internal hemorrhoids

With internal hemorrhoids, you may see bright red streaks of blood on toilet
paper or bright red blood in the toilet bowl after you have a normal bowel
movement. You may see blood on the surface of the stool.

Internal
hemorrhoids often are small, swollen veins in the wall of the anal canal. But
they can be large, sagging veins that bulge out of the anus all the time. They
can be painful if they bulge out and are squeezed by the anal muscles. They may
be very painful if the blood supply to the hemorrhoid is cut off. If
hemorrhoids bulge out, you also may see mucus on the toilet paper or
stool.

External hemorrhoids

External hemorrhoids can get irritated and clot under the skin, causing a hard
painful lump. This is called a thrombosed, or clotted, hemorrhoid.

How are hemorrhoids diagnosed?

Your doctor can
tell if you have hemorrhoids by asking about your past health and doing a
physical exam.

You may not need many tests at first, especially
if you are younger than 50 and your doctor thinks that your rectal bleeding is
caused by hemorrhoids. Your doctor may just
examine your rectum with a gloved finger. Or your doctor may use a short,
lighted scope to look inside the rectum.

Rectal bleeding can be a
sign of a more serious problem, such as colon, rectal, or anal cancer. So if
the first exam does not show a clear cause of your problems, your doctor may
use a lighted scope (sigmoidoscope) to look at the lower
third of your colon. Or your doctor may use another kind of scope (colonoscope) to
look at the entire colon to check for other causes of bleeding.

How are they treated?

For most external
hemorrhoids, home treatment is all you need. This includes slowly adding
fiber to your meals, drinking more water, and using
over-the-counter ointments for a limited time to stop itching. You also may use
stool softeners. The same home treatment can be used for most internal
hemorrhoids.

If your internal hemorrhoids are severe, you may
need other treatment. The doctor may tie off the hemorrhoids with rubber bands
or scar the tissue around the hemorrhoids. These treatments reduce the blood
supply to the hemorrhoids so that they shrink or go away.

Surgery
to remove hemorrhoids may be done if other treatments don't work.

Healthy habits can help you prevent hemorrhoids or keep them from getting
worse. Eat foods that have lots of fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole
grains. Also, drink plenty of water, and get plenty of exercise.

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